The Countdown is On!

We’re less than 12 hours away from the official start of #24in48 and you guys are just killing it already. More than 1,000 readers have signed up, we’ve got a whole butt load of prizes to give away, and demonstrating that books and reading are powerful. Today is….not a good day in the US, but I’m using today and this weekend as a reminder that we can support and encourage each other in all things and only by banding together do we get things done.

Whether you’re using the readathon to ignore the badness in the world or as an excuse to catch up on your social justice reading, the community is here for you. Find and follow your fellow readathon-ers on Instagram, Litsy (@24in48), Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr, YouTube, and Goodreads with the hashtag #24in48. You’ll find me (I linked to the official handles) as active as I possibly can be (with breaks for sleeping, of course), but I encourage you to find each other all weekend (especially those of you in other countries when most Americans are sleeping and you need the encouragement most).

Some of you are squeezing your reading around Saturday’s marches in Washington and across the country and I applaud you all. I also wanted to highlight a few other ways you can make a difference. Check out some readathon books from your local library (these institutions will need our support more than ever), donate to arts and literacy organizations in your area, and think about participating in #diverseathon, which overlaps with 24in48 and starts on Sunday. I’ll personally be dedicating my Sunday (if not my whole ‘thon) with #ownvoices books and books by marginalized people.

So that’s it, until midnight tonight. Don’t forget to check in here during the readathon. I’ll be posting updates every three hours, which will include prize announcements, challenges, and really fantastic gifs. Gather ye snacks and TBR stacks and let’s get ready to read.

Can’t express to you how glad I am about this — I’m terrible at readathons, but just having it here, this weekend, for me to focus on is just…well…thank you. Getting my books and drinks and blankets ready!